[Hoboken] Pilsener Haus & Biergarten

Rosie mentioned on her site that Pilsener Haus has scheduled a mid-July opening. It's at the north end of Hoboken, 15th and Grand (1422 Grand, to be precise).

The 21 ­European drafts—including the Haus Bier ($7 for 16.9 ounces), a crisp, well-balanced pilsner made exclusively for the bar by a German brewer whose name Ivanov is jealously keeping under wraps—are complemented by sausages, pretzels, and the occasional pig roast

The place is relatively easy to access, for Hoboken. It's about four blocks from the 14th street pier of New York Waterway, and about five blocks from the 9th street station of the light rail. Perhaps two minutes south of the Lincoln Tunnel. It's in a rapidly gentrifying area of Hoboken. ETA Unlike most of Hoboken, parking isn't bad in the area.

Thirsty travelers from New York City can make a "circle tour" and also visit the Zeppelin Beer Hall, located adjacent to the Jersey Avenue stop of the light rail, and a few blocks from the PATH Grove Street station. The Zep is located in a rapidly gentrifying area of Jersey City.

Rosie mentioned on her site that Pilsener Haus has opened. It's at the north end of Hoboken, 15th and Grand (1422 Grand, to be precise).

The 21 ­European drafts—including the Haus Bier ($7 for 16.9 ounces), a crisp, well-balanced pilsner made exclusively for the bar by a German brewer whose name Ivanov is jealously keeping under wraps—are complemented by sausages, pretzels, and the occasional pig roast

The place is relatively easy to access, for Hoboken. It's about four blocks from the 14th street pier of New York Waterway, and about five blocks from the 9th street station of the light rail. Perhaps two minutes south of the Lincoln Tunnel. It's in a rapidly gentrifying area of Hoboken.

Thirsty travelers from New York City can make a "circle tour" and also visit the Zeppelin Beer Hall, located adjacent to the Jersey Avenue stop of the light rail, and a few blocks from the PATH Grove Street station. The Zep is located in a rapidly gentrifying area of Jersey City.

The date continues to slip back a bit. Pilsener Haus's FaceBook page now says "early August" for the opening. Since they originally targeted a May commencement, they're losing much of the Summer drinking season.

Open indeed. Been there with my wife and two boys twice now, once for Saturday lunch, once for Friday dinner. Saturday lunch was a fantastic experience, Friday dinner was a bit of a disaster in terms of service (and crowds). Blows the doors off Zeppelin Hall.

Beers are really well-chosen -- varied, but generally hew to the biergarten tradition, including some pretty obscure Czech stuff and some top notch German stuff. Awesome find there was the Arcobrau Zwicklbier. So nice to be able to order a liter of good session beer (and have it served in glass, not plastic, mugs -- take that, Zeppelin Hall!). Bottles are more rangy in style, and that's where you'll find the American craft brews.

Food is really very good. Two grill areas are set up for walk-up service of sausages (weisswurst, brats, kielbasa, kase krainer, one other I'm forgetting) and a few other items (lamb chops, burgers, rotisserie chicken). Sauerkraut and (excellent) bread or fries accompany. Kraut is outrageously good. Definitely some rendered pork fat in there, and juniper berries. Entrees at dinner are fairly limited but also are high quality. I couldn't resist the pork cheeks, and they did not disappoint. Tender, flavorful, substantial, braised in their house pilsener, served over a bed of kraut and pretzel dumplings -- similar to bread pudding made from soft pretzels, formed into a large dumpling, then sliced into rounds. Inventive and very delicious vehicle for sopping up the braising liquid and sauerkraut.

Outdoor space is much more limited than indoor space, but the indoor space has a charming, industrial beer hall vibe. They're doing a brisk business, that's for sure. Driving past around 8pm on Saturday, noted a substantial line waiting to get in. I'd recommend trying weeknights, as soon after opening as you can, or lunch on weekends, for an optimal experience.

Bergen Record adds to Plattetude's comments with a descriptive "first look".

From the outside, the new Pilsener Haus & Biergarten in Hoboken looks like it's been there for hundreds of years. In fact, it has – the old warehouse it occupies, anyway. The building was the site of the very first brewery in Britain's American colonies, established in 1663, and the cleverly painted name of its new occupant, high up on the brick exterior, looks as if it's been there since the very beginning. It lends an air of authenticity to the place even before you enter, and nothing you'll find on the inside will change that feeling.

The establishment gets its name from the light golden lager called pilsener, which originated in the Czech town of Pilsen. Founding partners Andy Ivanov and Ladi Sebestyan, both natives of the Czech Republic, say that they set out to re-create the relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere of places that they grew up with in Europe. "The biergarten is a longtime cultural tradition where all kinds of people gather to have a good pint of beer in a fun and friendly environment," said Ivanov.

The first impression is that the place is huge. It occupies 10,000 square feet and is made up of three separate drinking/dining areas. The open-air and tree-shaded biergarten leads to the airy, semi-enclosed wintergarten section and finally to the expansive (read cavernous) indoor hall on the lower level. This area, where the bar and one of the two grills are located, is beautifully candlelit when the sun goes down. All sections are lined with 15-foot long wooden, communal tables which together seat a total of about 400 patrons.

In true biergarten tradition, the menu features 68 different kinds of beer – 20 of them on tap, primarily from Germany and Belgium, and 48 more in the bottle, both local and imported. These include brews in a daunting variety of styles and tastes, from light and delicate to dark and bold. They range in alcohol content from a modest 4.4 percent to a caution-demanding 13 percent. The draft beers are all available by the liter, half-liter and pitcher. A full bar is offered, as well.

And all that beer pairs very well with an impressive selection of characteristic Austro-Hungarian beer garden-style food. Weisswursts, bratwursts and kielbasa sizzle on the grill, all served with sauerkraut. From the grill you can also choose lamb chops, chicken and burgers, and from the kitchen there's wiener schnitzel, pork cheeks or chops, charcuterie and meat loaf.

Open now for about a month, PH&B seems to have already captured the fancy of an increasing number of loyal and enthusiastic patrons. Not unexpectedly, the mood is often upbeat and at times it borders on the raucous. At 4:45 on a Sunday afternoon the place was already nearly filled with an eclectic crowd of families and young adults. On weekend nights, we were told, the place really jumps.

The NY Times has an overview of both Pilsener Haus and Zeppelin as each begins the Octoberfest celebrations.

The reviewer, Tammy LaGorce, describes Pilsener as more upscale than Zeppelin, noting the silverware and china, vs plastic plates and knives at Zep, and the absence of TVs at Pilsener. In fairness, the TVs are inside at Zep, I don't recall any in the yard. Pilsener, she says, has double the offerings of draft beer, too.

Dirndl skirts and lederhosen are not in evidence among Pilsener Haus’s roughly 40 employees — waiters and waitresses roam the vast premises in uniforms of black shorts, black shirts and red suspenders that more subtly call to mind Alpine mountain climbers — but nods to cultural tradition abound.

The restaurant’s 21 draft beers are from Germany, Belgium, Austria and the Czech Republic, and they are described in poetic terms better associated with wine lists. (Mr. Ivanov’s favorite, Arcobräu Zwicklbier, from Moos, Germany, is described on the menu as having a “yeast-hazed golden hue” and “faint aromas of pepper, fresh-cut grass and bread”; a liter is $13.)

The chef, Thomas Ferlesch, formerly of Café des Artistes in Manhattan and Thomas Beisl in Brooklyn, devised a traditional menu of Austro-Hungarian favorites like Wiener schnitzel (served with potato salad, cucumber salad and lingonberries, $15) and a charcuterie and cheese platter ($15).

The setting is more upscale here; food is served on china with silverware, instead of plastic utensils and plates, as at Zeppelin Hall. At Pilsener Haus, there is table service for food and drinks, or customers can order drinks at the bar and sausages and sandwiches at one of two grills, then take a seat.

“Beer will only get us so far,” says chef Thomas Ferlesch, who grew up in Vienna and has a formidable New York résumé. He is quoting the philosophy of the owner, and he’s grateful for that point of view.

“When I cook things here, I don’t think about it — that I’m in a biergarten,” says Ferlesch.

Which translates, at the Pilsener Haus, to unexpected delicacy and nuance — in the intricate Viennese desserts, the schnitzels, the charcuterie, the sauerbraten.

It means farm-raised chicken in the chicken paprikash ($15), a sturdy dish of tender chicken on the bone, with paprika and sour cream, plus a delicate side of spätzle. (When’s the last time you had homemade spätzle, aka the German pasta? Ferlesch makes a fresh batch three times a week, 90 eggs at a time.)

It means tender sauerbraten ($17) made of braised pork shoulder and served with an earthy combination of apple cider, juniper berries and caramelized pearl onions. (On the side is a pretzel dumpling, which seemed more about cleverness than taste.) It means a thoroughly old-school Wiener schnitzel ($15) served with a cucumber salad, delicate parsleyed potatoes and lingonberries. It means authentic Hungarian beef goulash ($15) with more of that spätzle.

Pilsener Haus plans to open around 11 am the next several Fridays to broadcast the World Cup programming, and will remain open into the evening. It's unusual for them to be open at midday, but there were several folks cheering on the Polish team, and a few cheering on the Greek team.

Yesterday, they were open at lunch time, but with limited food options and no table service. Still, the beer was fine. I had a Kolsch, which was wonderful for the hot, sticky day.

Upstairs at the Pilsener Haus is now the home of a (reasonably) serious cocktail bar, Kolo Klub. Primarily designed as an event space, it's currently open to the public Friday and Saturday. Drink menu courtesy of the Ward III/Rum House gang, and given that, given the "permanant floating crap game" nature of the place, and given the expected(/intended?) crowd, I can't say I was surprised at the scope of the cocktail list -- several vodka drinks, a good bit of sweet stuff, but definitely tempered by a serious outlook.

Drink names and ingredients give the menu a Czech-inflected spin, and the space is artfully done -- chic, urban.

Menu here. Bohemian was a nice light starter -- the cucumber garnish really added much more than I'd have expected. Manchurian Candidate was a bit heavy-handed -- overkill amounts of both the pimiento dram and Fernet -- but with tweaking, I could see it being something I'd like. Grand Street Cocktail needs an oomphier rye than Jim Beam, though it wasn't nearly as sweet as it looks on paper. The bartender serving us (charming guy - Danny) knows the limitations of their current stock and is hoping to beef it up and broaden it in the coming weeks. His Old Fashioned (his drink of choice) wowed my wife.

Worth a trip across the Hudson? No, not really (but downstairs in the beer hall certainly does, especially daytimes -- it gets a bit too clubby after dark). But definitely a welcome addition to Hoboken's scene.

I was here recently, at about 5 on a week day in late August so it was almost empty although towards the end of our visit it started to fill up a bit. I'm not much of a beer drinker but the two I had were quite good--a white beer and a pilsener Urquell. The beer geeks in the party were very happy and there was much discussion and passing back and forth of mugs and glasses.

Four of us shared the very large pretzel---good, although not as good as Redhead's and we thought the cheese spread served alongside pretty tasteless. The house mustard was good. I shared a grilled kielbasa. Very nice, and the sauerkraut was utterly delicious. After I had finished my portion of the sauerkraut I happily attacked that of my brother-in-law who had spurned it. Those who had franks had very positive things to say. And there's a nice assortment of mustards on offer, with the spicy and horseradish versions especially good.

The space is very attractive, but the music was horrible,70s-90s 'lite' pop. Blech. We seriously considered moving outside to avoid it, but it was a very hot day. Service is aggressively friendly.

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